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Interbike: Keen Shoes and Bags

Keen is a ver.  environmentally conscience company that started out making a closed toe sandal that was safer for cyclists to wear..  They’ve since expanded into bags and other forms of cycling-safe sandals..  Their newest model is the Commuter.

Interbike: Moots Comooter – $8750

If you’re talking high end commuter bike, you’re not going to beat the new Moots Comooter.   Originally built for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, the Comooter got so much attention and feedback that they decided to add it to their production line. This bikes spec list tops any others, as well as it’s MSRP…

Interbike 2008: Trends

I’m at the first day of Interbike 2008 in Las Vegas with others in the Crooked Cog crew. Here are a few things I’ve seen: Attendance is incredible — the show floor is absolutely packed with a record number of booths and attendees. Everybody is offering single speed and fixed gear bikes. The companies that…

Interbike: New Knog Products

Knog is back and better than ever.   Their focus on design and eas of use makes them a great company to look to for commuter products.   Their new stuff includes a cycling computer, new LED designs and some hip looking tools.

Interbike: Crumpler Hydration, Luggage and Masks

Crumpler is the rad bag company out of Australia.   Last year I reviewed their Part and Parcel bag (which I’m carrying here at the show) and this year they’ve expanded into other areas of carrying your stuff around.   Hydration packs, luggage and even bags that can double as masks are all now in the Crumpler…

Bikes belong

In response to a letter to the editor claiming cyclists don’t belong on the road, Andrew Posner writes a rebuttal at Treehugger.com, specifically addressing these main points: Bicycles are slow, hard to see and vulnerable. Too many cyclists don’t know the rules of the road. Unlike drivers, cyclists are not required to have insurance, and…

Pictures of me riding…

All the pictures I ever post here at commutebybike.com are of the bikes while I’m behind the camera. Well during some test riding over the past couple days a few people actually snapped some photos of me in the wild. So here they are…

Interbike 2008: Pashley Guv'nor

This beautiful bike is a throw back to an early 1930’s model that Pashley built and carried. This new version was built early last year for one of the owners as a personal bike. It was never intended to get moved into their product line. However, a last minute decision put it in the shipping…

10 Tips For Staying Motivated

If you have some other method of transportation, the occasional temptation is there to eschew the bike for a day, a week, or even for the entire winter. Bike commuting can seem old or boring if you’ve been doing it a while. Here are some tips for staying motivated.

Interbike Outdoor Demo Day 1

The Interbike Outdoor Demo is a couple days out in Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City Nevada suffering through riding as many new bikes as possible. The first bike that caught my eye was the Pashley Guvnor..  The original one was built up for the owner as a fun bike for him..  Last year they showed it at…

Bike share… in China

China was once known as the Bicycle Kingdom, but with increased affluence has come increased motorized traffic and government restrictions against bikes as China is now the second largest car market in the world behind the United States. China is on track to overtake the United States in the length of its long distance highways…

Commuting 101: Avoid Target Fixation

Man, I hope I don’t run into that… Recently, I’ve had a series of close encounters with critters, storm debris, buckles in the pavement, other cyclists and pedestrians on the multi-purpose path. Something in a book I was reading seemed applicable: “…your hands are hardwired to your eyes. Look ahead; see where you want to…

Yahoo's purple bikes

Yahoo created a small fleet of purple bicycles equipped with a camera, GPS receiver, cell phone and (solar) power for this gear and deployed the bikes around the world to chronicle their journeys. The cameras take a photo every 60 seconds and post them automatically with geo tags to Flickr, where you can see the…

Dallas readers, prepare to go multi-modal

DallasNews.com reports: Dallas transit agency to add bike racks to buses. I get down to Dallas a few times a year and have yet to see anyone biking to work. I know you’re out there and perhaps DART’s putting bike racks on their busses will help get more people out. “By New Year’s Eve, 650…

Prosecutor bikes to work

When you’re a bicyclist testifying in a road rage case, it’s good to have an attorney who knows the law. The Car Whisperer in Chicago had a run in with a antisocial motorist last August. The motorist went nuts right in front of a police station. The driver was cited for violating the three foot…

Tip: Watch out for bears!

Pantagraph.com: Jim Litz is accustomed to pedaling past 300-pound black bears on his morning commute to work. “I’ve come close to them this time of year,” Litz said, clutching his side and grimacing. “I know bears. The entire creek bottom is just hammered by bears. That’s the beauty of living here. But typically, they’re crossing…

Nice bike commercial

Okay, some people are complaining about the sidewalk riding and wrong way riding, and others don’t like the advertiser, but I like that this video shows people dressed for living riding their bikes to get around and transport their stuff. And there’s no ridiculous “Professional drivers on closed course” disclaimer to accompany this transportation ad!…

Commuting 101: Keeping footwear dry

In the wake of the tropical storms, we’ve had a lot of rain in the past week. My cycling shoes have gotten so wet that they don’t get a chance to dry out before it’s time to leave for work in the morning. Here are some tips for keeping your footwear dry in monsoon season.

Commuting 101: Be Seen!

September’s officially here, and many recreational cyclists are hanging their bikes up for the season as the evening daylight gets shorter and shorter. Those who commute by bike, however, still have quite a bit of good riding weather ahead. You just need to be seen, and be safe.